Terracotta stemless kylix (drinking cup)
ca. 430 BCE
Medium
Terracotta
Dimensions
H. 2 1/2 in. (6.4 cm); diameter 8 11/16 in. (22 cm); width with handles 11 9/16 in. (29.4 cm)
Classification
Vases
Culture & Period
Greek, Attic · Classical
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1941
Accession Number
41.162.137
Tags
Art Historical Context
This elegant terracotta stemless kylix, crafted around 430 BCE by the Marlay Painter, exemplifies the refined artistry of Classical Athens during Greece’s Golden Age. As an Attic vase, it reflects the city’s dominance in pottery production, where skilled painters like the Marlay Painter specialized in red-figure techniques. These allowed for more naturalistic depictions of figures against the clay’s warm background, capturing the grace and daily rhythms of Athenian life with delicate linework and expressive detail. Used primarily for drinking wine at symposia—social gatherings of men—the kyli...